The capture of Maul had gone off without a hitch, and had doubled as a valuable learning experience. Mainly for Kelly, but she could relay what she'd learned to the rest of us. Though of course once Maul's Stamp finished, he could teach us everything he knew about lightsaber combat himself.
That was for the future. For now, the zabrak was lying naked on a table, unconscious, in the room I'd set aside for my biomancy experiments.
"I don't normally have an audience for my biomancy work, you know," I said to my harem as they stood around the table. "Why the sudden interest?"
"Those were just experiments," Kelly replied, shrugging. "You've never actually applied any permanent augmentations before, have you?"
"No, I suppose not. I really should have picked up Science talent before now, it's been invaluable in learning how to augment the brain… oh well, better late than never."
"What exactly are your plans for him, Ame?" Aayla asked. "Is he gonna be staying on the ship?"
"Only while we learn everything we can from him. Once that's done - which, given his performance against Kelly, shouldn't take too long - he's free to go his own way. He has his own ship conveniently, so I can always contact him over the Holonet if I ever have need of his services."
"Good," Aayla replied, sounding relieved. I raised an eyebrow at that, causing her to say, "Well, I don't really want a Sith hanging around."
"You say that, even though Ame is way stronger in the Dark side?" Cortana asked.
"Yes, actually. Unlike the Sith, Ame doesn't plan to wipe out the Jedi."
"Point. Speaking of which, Sidious will probably have a way of tracking Maul's ship, and any Holonet messages won't he?" Cortana asked me.
"Probably. Once we're done here, hopefully you can make a few adjustments to his ship's Holonet receiver to prevent that."
"Sure thing. We'll have the most secure communications in the galaxy," Cortana replied, smugly.
"Right. Well, let's not waste any more time; this'll be by far the most extensive set of augmentations I've ever done. At the end, Maul will be far stronger, tougher, stronger in the Force even… everything I can think of."
"Speaking of tougher, did you ever manage to figure out the source of the Sons of Antaeus' durability?" Kelly asked.
"Yes, I did. The other day I noticed my body's extracellular matrix contains some rather unusual carbon allotropes. Not as strong as graphene, but still far stronger than you'd expect to find in a living organism. Clearly, it makes my flesh far more resilient to damage than normal."
"I wonder which bit of the gene-seed would cause a change like that?" Kelly mused.
"I honestly have no idea. I doubt even its creators know for sure. Though of course incomplete knowledge of how it forms doesn't stop me from creating something similar with other methods."
With that, I began focusing my biomancy to increase Maul's physical prowess. Mainly as practise, but I also figured he would be of greater use to me this way. I began with his internal organs, inducing the growth of a third lung, similar to the one I had been implanted with, as well as induced the growth of a much more efficient pulmonary surfactant in his lungs, to increase oxygen intake and resistance to poison gases. That particular augmentation had actually been inspired by Project Orchid, the Spartan-IV augmentation procedures, which included something similar.
Given that zabraks naturally had two hearts, I didn't feel the need to add another, but I did increase the density of muscle tissue, allowing them to pump blood with much greater force. I made sure not to increase the physical size though; the heart was an oddly-shaped muscle, and didn't take to increased thickness too well. I distinctly remembered, from my previous life, reading about bodybuilders suffering cardiac arrest from hearts that were too big to pump, a side effect of excessive steroid use. I didn't want that to happen here.
Other than the third lung, I decided not to implant any extra organs, instead opting to modify existing ones to achieve a similar effect to the implanted organs in my own body. I thus modified Maul's bone marrow to produce red blood cells that carried more oxygen. Combined with his improved hearts and lungs, he would have far greater stamina than before. Additionally, I induced the marrow to produce larraman cells, the same super-platelets produced by my own larraman's organ that sealed my wounds pretty much instantly.
Turning to the other organs, I increased the efficiency of his digestive tract, reducing his need for food, as well as altering the way nutrients were absorbed which would make him much much more resistant to ingested poisons. I also altered his kidneys to make them more efficient at filtering out poisons in his bloodstream, as well as changing his fat cells to increase in density rather than size, should it be necessary; overeating would cause Maul to build up a much denser internal fuel supply, similar in consistency to wax, rather than obesity.
The vital organs taken care of, I turned to the muscles and bones. My own bones were infused with ceramite, which besides being incredibly hard, was much less brittle than a normal ceramic. I had been unable to procure any in the Star Wars galaxy however, forcing me to use another method. Besides increasing the density of Maul's bones, I infused them with graphene for tensile strength and fullerite for hardness, the latter being a kind of compressed fullerene even harder than diamond; the fact they were both made entirely of carbon meant that no additional supplements would be needed, with Maul getting all the carbon he would ever need from normal food.
Augmenting the muscles was much easier, increasing the size and density of the muscle fibres, as well as creating entirely new ones. The end result was a superhuman physique that was roughly the same size as before; Maul wouldn't have the imposing stature of a Spartan, let alone a Space Marine. I figured the surprise of not knowing he was augmented would be worth more than the slight increase in prowess that would be conferred.
This led me to focus on the relevant organs in Maul's head. I increased the number of light-sensitive cells in the zabrak's retinas, as well as inverting them so they were in front of the connected nerves and blood vessels rather than behind. I also altered the shape of the corneas and lenses into something that would focus light much more efficiently, and induced the growth of extra capillaries to carry more oxygenated blood to the retinas. These particular augmentations had also been inspired by the creation of the Spartans; taken together, I had calculated that Maul would have something on the order of 200/20 vision.
The other senses were easier to augment, simply increasing the number and sensitivity of the relevant sensory cells. I paid particular attention to the ears, ensuring that Maul would be able to 'tune out' certain noises if necessary, much like myself, as well as altering the inner ear to prevent motion sickness.
With all that taken care of, I moved onto the part I was most nervous about; augmenting the brain and nervous system. I began by increasing the number of relevant nerves connecting the sensory organs to the brain, as well as altering the dendrites to be superconducting, thus increasing the speed of signals, and reinforcing the myelin sheaths for reduced signal loss - something else I had taken from the Spartans. Beyond increasing Maul's speed of thought and reaction, it would also increase his intelligence, in a similar manner to Kelly, except that the zabrak wasn't too bright to begin with; he'd be smarter, but hardly a genius.
Beyond that, I also increased the growth of nerves throughout the body more generally, increasing reaction speed and sensitivity to stimuli even further, though I also had to balance this with a reduction in the sensitivity of nerves responsible for pain signals; I didn't want him to be incapacitated by a papercut.
Double checking there were no negative side effects from the neural enhancement, there were only two more augmentations left. The first was to infuse Maul's entire body with a variety of fullerene lattices, in a similar manner to myself. I paid particular attention to the joints, tendons and other connective tissues, ensuring he could actually use his new muscles without ripping his tendons in the process.
The second was the most experimental of the augmentations, though I was still confident it would work. I had previously taken the kyber crystal from Maul's lightsaber, and carefully cut it into a more Warp-resonant shape, similar to the crystals in my psychic hood. I then carefully etched hundreds of runes into the crystal, runes of psychic power and control, which I had then inlaid with a Warp-resonant alloy consisting of iron, silver, and Maul's blood. I then used biomancy to bond the prepared crystal with the muscle tissue of Maul's primary heart; feeling the way the Warp flowed through the zabrak's body, I was certain it would increase his power in the Warp.
With that, I sat down, actually feeling a bit tired.
"Is it done?" Cortana asked.
I nodded. "He'll stay unconscious for now, until his Stamp finishes. Then we'll see just how much stronger I made him."
I was genuinely curious about that, this was the first time I wouldn't be undoing my work with biomancy. The lightsaber practice would be fun at least.
-x-x-x-x-
"Master Jinn, my friend, it is so good to see you again," Jedi Master Dooku said to his former padawan, as they relaxed in the Room of a Thousand Fountains.
"Likewise Master Dooku, though I do wish it were under better circumstances," Qui-Gon Jinn replied with a slightly strained smile.
Dooku's own smile morphed into a grimace. "Yes. Frankly, it's a complete travesty that we allowed this apparent Sith resurgence to occur."
"The galaxy is a big place, Master Dooku, and we are so few in number. You cannot reasonably expect us to police every corner of it," Qui-Gon pointed out.
"I am aware of that Master Jinn," Dooku said with a sigh. "The council is as well, what with how many times I have raised this point. Yet it seems their 'solution' to this problem is to not bother trying."
"I can feel your frustration my friend, and I understand," Qui-Gon said. "Even still, I think you are being overly harsh."
Dooku laughed, a bitter sound with no humour. "Hardly. The council is allowing perfect to be the enemy of good. You and young Obi-Wan Kenobi have recently proven my point." Dooku leaned forward. "Were it not for your efforts, the invasion of Naboo would've been even more disastrous than it already has. Queen Padme would've been captured, and the Trade Federation would've won. The only reason that didn't happen was because you and your padawan were in a position to save her. The only reason you were even in that position is because Chancellor Valorum went behind the Senate's back to ensure it, risking his career in the process. The Force gave us our power to protect the people of the Republic, yet here we are, collared like trained akk dogs by a corrupt Senate, letting us off our leash only when it is to their political benefit!"
"At first you blamed the council, and now you are blaming the Senate?" Qui-Gon asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I blame both," Dooku seethed. "The council is beset by chronic apathy, and the Senate, by chronic rot. We ought to be taking the fight to the enemies of the Republic, instead of sitting on our hands in the temple, only leaving when the powers-that-be deign to allow it." Taking a deep breath to calm himself, the older Jedi continued, "My one hope is that you have recently shown the galaxy our capacity to do good, if only we are able."
"We did have help," Qui-Gon said softly.
"From this Amedeus you mentioned? That may be true, but it only reinforces my point. Instead of protecting the Republic from the Sith ourselves, we are forced to rely on the aid of an unknown Force-sensitive, of unknown motivation instead."
"I believe his motives were pure, Master Dooku."
"What difference does that make? You shouldn't have had to rely on his aid in the first place."
They both sat in silence for a minute, Qui-Gon unsure how to respond. Eventually he said, "The Sith hasn't been seen since we left Tatooine, you know."
Dooku nodded. "Do you suppose Amedeus dealt with him?"
"It seems likely. Though he may just have gone into hiding; we won't know for sure until we head back to Naboo with the Queen, and see if he reappears."
"I wouldn't have thought a Sith would want to hide Master Jinn, especially after attacking you so brazenly," the senior Jedi replied, brow furrowing. "Consider that he wasn't even able to overpower you and your padawan - no offence. If Amedeus is as powerful - both physically and in the Force - as you believe, then I doubt an altercation between them would end any other way than with a dead Sith. Not to mention Amedeus's own apprentice who, from what you've told the council, is a rather impressive physical specimen in her own right."
"Yes… that would make two unknown human-looking Force-sensitives of unusual stature, though Amedeus is certainly the more extreme example. I got the feeling that they weren't born that way."
"People rarely are born as adults, Master Jinn," Dooku replied dryly.
Qui-Gon snorted, "You know what I mean."
Dooku allowed himself a small smile before his expression turned serious. "Based on the limited evidence, it would seem that their people have the ability to increase an individual's size, and presumably physical prowess. Though without knowing their origins, we can only speculate as to how."
"I understand that, in ancient times, Sith alchemy was used to turn a variety of creatures into monsters that could fight on their creators' behalf," Qui-Gon said, frowning. "Perhaps Amedeus and his apprentice underwent a similar process?"
"Didn't you say they had no trace of the Dark side upon them?"
"Perhaps their people have learned a way to do something similar using only the Light side," Qui-Gon shrugged. "Though I suspect many of our order would consider it a perversion of the Force regardless."
"We don't know that the Force was involved at all," Dooku pointed out. "Could it have been a form of cybernetic enhancement?"
"I don't know. They didn't look like cyborgs, though with them both wearing full-body armour I couldn't really tell."
"Perhaps that is a more useful point of speculation, Master Jinn. Such armour is generally only seen among those accustomed to war, such as the Mandalorians."
"Indeed. Though I didn't detect any of the spiritual scars one would normally expect to see in soldiers."
"There is still far too much we do not know," Dooku sighed. "Now that I think about it, it seems likely they know Force techniques unknown to us, and possibly even the rest of the galaxy. For example, I recall you mentioning that Amedeus carried a large, Force-resonant staff."
Qui-Gon nodded. "Though he also had a lightsaber, it was clear the staff was his main weapon. I felt it passively drawing in Force energy, which he could presumably access whenever he wishes."
"Odd, but also interesting. Whilst the more esoteric aspects of the Force are hardly my forte, I feel we would know if, say, the Sith ever developed something like that, let alone ourselves."
"That wasn't the only strange thing I saw, Master Dooku. When I examined Amedeus and Kelly, his apprentice, through my Force-sight, I felt something peculiar," Qui-Gon said, frowning in consternation. "The armour they wore, it almost seemed to… repel the Force energy I directed at it. It's difficult to describe, but I ended up having to put far more effort than I normally would into something so simple. I imagine that, had we hypothetically come to blows, it would've done the same for any Force pushes I might've used."
Dooku abruptly sat up. "Now that is interesting. If their armour grants them resistance to Force-based attacks, it lends credence to the theory of them having a warlike background. All things considered, perhaps we should be more concerned about their potential aims."
"We shouldn't jump to conclusions, Master Dooku. You said it yourself, this is all speculation on our part. I never felt any indication that Amedeus was trying to mislead us. Besides, he did warn us about the Sith."
"I suppose you're right, though I am curious as to how he could detect the Dark side so much earlier than ourselves. If nothing else, it seems increasingly likely that this Sith died at his hands."
"Meaning it is unlikely that Amedeus would try to oppose us," Qui-Gon said. "Still, it seems prudent to try and learn more about him as quickly as possible."
"Yes. Do you plan to include that as a recommendation when you write up a report for the council?"
"I do… at least when I eventually find time to write it," Qui-Gon replied, grimacing.
"Ah yes, our one foe that is even greater than the Dark side. Paperwork," Dooku said with a wry smile. "I don't envy you."
"Indeed. I probably shouldn't put it off any longer," Qui-Gon smiled back. "May the Force be with you, Master Dooku," he said as he got up to leave.
"And you, Master Jinn. I fear we will all need it in these dark times."
Qui-Gon departed, leaving Dooku alone with his thoughts. It was galling to think about how an independent Force user had accomplished so much more than the Jedi themselves, assuming Amedeus really had killed the Sith. Then again, it only reinforced his belief that he could accomplish more outside the constraints of the Jedi Order… no, now wasn't the time. More needed to be learned about this mysterious giant first. Hopefully he would visit Coruscant at some point… if he did, Dooku resolved to meet with him. It was bound to be insightful.
-x-x-x-x-
Darth Sidious tried to relax as he idly watched the Coruscanti air traffic go by, waiting for Queen Padme Amidala to arrive, trying, and failing, to suppress his anxiety. Practically everything that could have gone wrong on Tatooine, had done so. It had started well enough, with Maul tracking his prey down quickly. The zabrak was no true Sith, merely a living weapon, but even still Sidious had seen the boy well trained, if only because it made him more useful. He should have been able to kill a couple of Jedi, especially with the element of surprise. Yet the Sith's hopes had been dashed when his enemies received the unexpected help of an independent Force user by the name of Amedeus.
Sidious had never heard of the man before, yet it was clear he and his apprentice's presence on Tatooine was no coincidence. The apprentice, Kelly, had even told Qui-Gon Jinn that they felt 'something of great importance' would happen there soon. That alone began setting off alarm bells. Doubly so when Sidious learned that Amedeus had somehow felt the growing influence of the Dark side, slight though it was, and warned the Jedi about it. And then there was the fact that Maul hadn't been seen or heard from since his failed attack; it was as if he'd simply dropped off the face of the galaxy. Either Maul had encountered Amedeus of his own accord, or the armoured giant had deliberately sought him out. Whatever the case, it was clear that the zabrak had lost.
The worst part, however, came when Sidious tried peering into the Force to seek answers. To his utter shock, he saw nothing. A Force user of Amedeus's calibre should've sent ripples of his presence through the Force, which the Sith should've been able to observe. Yet, it was as if the giant simply didn't exist, despite the fact that he clearly did. Somehow, Amedeus was blocking his foresight, just as Sidious himself had done with the Jedi. The one saving grace was that it didn't affect the Sith's ability to observe the rest of the galaxy, so it was likely Amedeus was blocking any attempts to observe him, rather than targeting Sidious specifically. Still, the mere fact that the giant had a way of countering his foresight was incredibly unsettling… and, as much as the Sith lord hated to admit it, tempting.
He had never intended to make a true Sith out of Maul, and moving the zabrak into a less covert role would've been almost impossible - not that it mattered anymore. Nor would he have the time, as Chancellor, to train another apprentice from infancy. Sidious had had his eye on the Jedi Master Dooku for a while now as a potential replacement. Yet it was as clear as day that Amedeus was by far the superior candidate. Qui-Gon Jinn seemed to think he was powerful in the Force, something that Sidious himself had witnessed first-hand, not to mention his overwhelming physicality. And, as an independent Force user, he likely wouldn't have the same objections to the Sith's teachings that the Jedi would. The one potential fly in the ointment was that Amedeus already had an apprentice himself. Sidious doubted their relationship was strictly platonic, but even that could be worked to his advantage. He could already envision finding a use for Kelly just as he took Amedeus as his own apprentice, only to get the woman killed on some suicide mission; Amedeus's grief over her death would be useful for driving him deeper into the Dark side.
Sidious was brought out of musings as he heard a knock on the door of his apartment.
"Enter," he called.
The door opened, through which Queen Padme entered.
"My queen, I am so glad to see you unharmed by the recents events surrounding Naboo and Tatooine," Sidious said, putting on his best grandfatherly smile. It was curious to consider that the Sith was, more than anything, an actor, one currently playing the role of Sheev Palpatine, the mild-mannered Senator of the Chommell sector.
"Indeed, Senator Palpatine, though we had a few close encounters," Padme replied, her own smile rather strained.
"So it would seem. It is a good job you had Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi with you," Sidious replied, feigning concern.
"Yes, though my safety is partially thanks to others as well."
"I assume you're referring to the mysterious Force user known as Amedeus?" Sidious asked.
"Yes, and his apprentice as well, Master Jinn seemed to hold them both in high regard… I must confess, the presence of someone like them is not what I would've expected on a planet like Tatooine."
"Oh?" Sidious asked, unsure where she was going with the conversation.
"Just as I had been raised to believe that the Republic was the galaxy's shining beacon of civilisation, I had also come to believe everywhere else was a lawless backwater. To put it bluntly, I have seen nothing that contradicts that latter belief, but it is heartening to know that good people still exist even in such places," Padme said as her smile became a grimace. "Sadly, I have also seen much that challenges the former belief as well."
"Is that so, my queen?" Sidious replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes…" Padme trailed off, taking a deep breath, clearly uncomfortable. "Senator, be honest with me; how likely is it that the Senate will help us, given how much more they value the Trade Federation than Naboo?"
Sidious blinked in surprise; of all the things he'd anticipated the girl would say, that hadn't been among them. He'd been expecting to use the revelation of the Senate's corruption to bring Padme into a more beneficial position, ideally one that would see Chancellor Valorum ousted from his post prematurely. He could still achieve that though, he'd just have to improvise. "My queen… Padme, unfortunately you're right; it isn't likely at all. The Trade Federation currently has enough leverage within the Senate to ensure they face no real consequences. While they can't stop us from retaking our home, they'll drag out any attempts to go further than that until the media, and thus the rest of the galaxy, loses interest. Once it stops facing any pressure to act, the Senate will try to pretend the invasion never happened, and in the process, destroy any hope of justice for the millions of Republic citizens who died on their watch," Sidious replied, feigning anger.
"I was hoping that you'd thought of another solution, one that I'd missed, one that would allow us to show the Federation that they went too far." Padme said, sounding despondent. "I suppose it was naive of me."
"Do not despair my queen," Sidious replied soothingly. "There is one viable avenue open to us, though I must warn you, it may seem extreme at first."
"Are you going to suggest I issue a Vote of No Confidence against Chancellor Valorum?" Padme asked.
The Sith lord fought to contain his surprise; even in light of recent events, he definitely hadn't been expecting the idealistic young queen of Naboo to suggest such a thing. "There really is no other option, I'm afraid. The courts would take too long, and who knows how many more innocent people would die in the meantime? Fortunately, the Trade Federation have put themselves in a compromised position; while the Senate doesn't care about the plight of Naboo, none of them want to see their own homeworlds be the target of invasion. Thus they will, at the bare minimum, do whatever is necessary to prevent this from happening again… or at least, they will upon the election of a Chancellor with some actual power."
"I take it you are still planning to run for the position, Senator?" Padme asked rhetorically.
Sidious nodded. "If any good has come of our situation, it is that it will net me a large number of sympathy votes. I promise you, my queen, if I am elected, I will do everything in my power to ensure the Federation faces justice for invading our home."
"I am glad to hear it," Padme replied. She sounded relieved, but in her eyes, Sidious thought he saw the merest flicker of mistrust. The Sith felt a cold pit forming in his stomach; he'd spent the last few months cultivating her trust, yet clearly something had gone awry. Probably not enough to prevent her from bring down Valorum, she still wanted to see the invasion stopped as quickly as possible… but some tiny part of her saw his actions for what they were; a power grab.
Sidious chose his words carefully, deciding that honesty was the best course of action. "I must admit, your Highness, that this meeting has shown rather more… cynicism on your part than I expected. While I am glad you are able to see our situation for what it is, I was surprised to hear you suggest something as extreme as a Vote of No Confidence."
Padme nodded. "To be honest, I never expected to suggest such a thing either. But recents events have given a different perspective on the Senate, and even the Republic more generally."
"I understand, your Highness. At the same time, you must remember that these events are the result of the Republic not functioning properly, not inherent flaws in the system."
"If that's the case, then the Republic must not have been functioning for a long time," Padme replied with a sigh. "While I was on Tatooine, Amedeus, he… he spoke to me away from the Jedi. It was he who explained to me that the Trade Federation didn't reach its current position overnight, and how the Senate had perverse incentives to give it its current position, with the related negative side effects only becoming apparent after the relevant Senators were no longer in power."
Now that was an interesting little tidbit. "Yes, well, he wasn't wrong, your Highness. I daresay the Republic hasn't functioned as it should for at least a century. I do wonder if it's even possible to root out the rot within my tenure as Chancellor, but I have to try. Not just for Naboo, but for the entire galaxy."
"On that, we are in agreement, Senator," Padme replied, sounding reassured.
They chatted for a while longer, discussing their plans for the future, but Sidious barely remembered it, instead preoccupied with thoughts of what to do with Amedeus. With Padme no longer trusting her Senator as she should, her long-term support wasn't critical to his plans. The Sith couldn't help but wonder whether something Amedeus had said was the cause... On the other hand, the giant clearly wasn't a fan of the Republic either; why else would he go out of his way to point out its flaws to one of its biggest supporters? If that was the case, it seemed likely he'd support Sidious's scheme to supplant it, especially if offered a high ranking position in Sidious's new order. Then again, perhaps not; Amedeus's motives were still very much unknown. It was clear the Sith needed more information; if it seemed likely the giant would be amenable, he'd make the offer, and if not… Well, having a powerful apprentice wasn't critical to his plans, merely nice to have. And for all his power, Amedeus was an isolated figure in the galaxy; if he caused trouble, Sidious could have him removed from existence without the rest of the galaxy noticing.
AN:
I realised I made a slight mistake in the earlier chapters; I'd previously said Kelly's armour was green, but her Gen 3 Mjolnir is actually light blue. I've now fixed it.
You wouldn't believe how much time I spent researching biological augmentations for this chapter - fictional ones, obviously. Besides watching youtube videos on Space Marine and Spartan augmentations procedures - which were both highly educational and entertaining - I took inspiration from the 40k fic Imperium Ascendant, on Spacebattles, which has some interesting ideas for additional augmentations.
Writing the second and third portions of this chapter were surprisingly difficult. Working out how people would react the Amedeus's actions is one thing, making sure they stay in character at the same time is even harder. It doesn't help that I'm not really planning the story much, instead just making things up as I go along. It's definitely is more fun that way though.